FINRA

Table of Contents

1    Preparing to Invest

      1.   Introduction:  Saving and Investing                                                                           

      2.   Create a Budget—and Pay Yourself                                                                          

      3.   Set Investment Goals                                                                                               

      4.   Establish an Emergency Fund                                                                                

      5.   Choose Investments Wisely                                                                                    

      6.   Practice Good Habits                                                                                            

2    Key Investment Concepts                                                                                          

      1.   Introduction                                                                                                              

      2.   Return and Rate of Return                                                                                        

      3.   The Risk-Return Relationship                                                                                    

      4.   Time and Your Portfolio                                                                                         

      5.   Allocating Your Portfolio                                                                                        

      6.   Diversifying Your Portfolio                                                                                     

      7.   Rebalancing Your Portfolio                                                                                     

      8.   Dollar Cost Averaging                                                                                            

      9.   Investing Tax Strategies                                                                                         

3    Bank Products                                                                                                           

      1.   Introduction                                                                                                             

      2.   Safety in Banking:  FDIC Insurance                                                                          

      3.   Transaction Accounts                                                                                             

      4.   Deposit Accounts                                                                                                 

      5.   International Remittances                                                                                       

      6.   Beyond Banking                                                                                                  

4    US Treasury Securities                                                                                            

      1.   Treasury Debt                                                                                                          

      2.   Marketable Securities:  Bills, Notes, and Bonds                                                      

      3.   Investment Risk                                                                                                     

      4.   Buying and Selling Treasuries                                                                                   

      5.   Using Treasuries                                                                                                    

      6.   Nonmarketable Securities:  Savings Bonds                                                             

5    Common Types of Investments                                                                                

      1.   Introduction                                                                                                             

      2.   Stock                                                                                                                      

      3.   Bonds                                                                                                                   

      4.   Mutual Funds                                                                                                         

      5.   Exchanged Traded Funds                                                                                       

      6.   Real Estate Investment Trusts                                                                                 

6    Retirement Savings Vehicles                                                                                     

      1.   Introduction                                                                                                             

      2.   Individual Plans                                                                                                       

      3.   Employer-Sponsored Plans                                                                                    

      4.   Small Business Plans                                                                                             

7    Choosing the Right Investments                                                                        

      1.   Introduction                                                                                                             

      2.   General Rules of Investing                                                                                       

      3.   Planning for Your Financial Goals                                                                             

      4.   Investing for Short-Term Goals                                                                              

      5.   Investing for Medium-Term Goals                                                                             

      6.   Investing for Long-Term Goals                                                                                  

      7.   Your Risk Tolerance                                                                                               

      8.   Managing Your Portfolio                                                                                        

      9.   Investing in Your Twenties                                                                                      

      10.  Investing in Your Thirties and Forties                                                            

      11.  Investing in Your Fifties                                                                                         

      12.  Investing in Your Sixties and Beyond                                                                      

8    Managing Investment Risk                                                                                   

      1.   Introduction                                                                                                             

      2.   Why Take Risks?                                                                                                     

      3.   Types of Investment Risk                                                                                         

      4.   Assessing Risk                                                                                                       

      5.   Investing to Minimize Risk                                                                                      

      6.   Modern Portfolio Theory                                                                                         

      7.   Risk Protection                                                                                                      

 

9 Evaluating Performance                                                                                               

      1.   Introduction                                                                                                             

      2.   Yield                                                                                                                       

      3.   Return                                                                                                                     

      4.   Capital Gains and Losses                                                                                        

      5.   Tracking Performance                                                                                            

      6.   Reading Your Statement                                                                                         

      7.   Using Research                                                                                                      

10   Investment Professionals                                                                                        

      1.   Introduction                                                                                                           

      2.   Types of Investment Professionals                                                                         

      3.   Choosing an Investment Professional                                                                     

      4.   Checking an Investment Professional’s Background                                               

      5.   Working with an Investment Professional                                                               

      6.   Discretionary vs. Non-Discretionary Accounts                                                        

11   Safeguarding Your Investments                                                                        

      1.   Introduction                                                                                                           

      2.   Recordkeeping                                                                                                      

      3.   Protecting Your Investments                                                                                   

      4.   Investor Rights and Protections                                                                              

      5.   Investment Scams                                                                                                

      6.   Filing a Complaint